Podcast Episodes

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard about the 5-4 verdict legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states last week.  Nathan  does not want to engage on the POLITICAL response to this issue but the CHURCH'S response.  Greg  recaps his recent sermon addressing the issue.  Steve Hartland  also shares some provocative thoughts on not being too "apocalyptic" in our response to this issue. Ho...

This one is NOT a debate but a conversation. We recognize there is no way to "go academic" on such a sensitive issue.  Nathan  asks  Greg  a series of questions about the destiny of children who perish. Does Scripture speak to the issue? Is there room for disagreement among Christians? How do we seek to comfort parents who have lost a child? Please let us know if this is a helpful conversation to...

Nathan  reviews the Scriptures both  Greg  and  Dave  cited at the end of part 1. Dave argues for a position often called "corporate election-" that God' s choice is not of individuals regarding their eternal destiny but of nations/entities for redemptive historical purposes in the world. Greg and Dave get into the nitty gritty of specific verses in Romans 9-10.

After months of hinting about it and brushing up against it in every podcast, we finally take on Calvinism.  Dave Shive  is a mentor and friend to  Greg . They have for 18 years now never seen eye-to-eye on the issue of God's sovereignty in the salvation of sinners.  Nathan  asks them how their friendship has endured this divide then rings the bell to let the debate begin. This is PART ONE of a tw...

TGT11 is honored to be joined by one of the most prolific, thoughtful theologians of the 21st century.  Dr. John Frame  has influenced pastors, students and fellow theologians significantly in his almost 50 years of ministry.  Nathan  picks his brain about philosophy- did Christians lose the upper hand to early in the battle?  Steve Hartland  asks him tricky questions about what's gotten Dr. Frame...

How old is the earth? Does a Christian HAVE to believe that the 7 days of creation in Genesis 1 are 24-hour literal days? Is the earth as old as science tells us, and if so, what does that do with our reading of the creation narrative?  Mark Sweeney , Executive Pastor of  Christ Fellowship , joins forces with  Greg  this week as they defend an old earth position.  Nathan Schneider , Associate Past...

It's a SIZZLING START TO SUMMER as June is devoted to HOT TOPICS. Up first, Greg's old seminary friend and PCA pastor  Mark Fodale  argues FOR infant baptism- contra  Greg  who defends believer's (credo) baptism.  Nathan  calls a few time outs to make sure they don't geek out too much on paedo-communion (WHAT!!) and other side issues.

Is Jeremiah 29:11 REALLY an appropriate verse for a high school or college graduate?  Steve Hartland  shares his concerns with treating that verse like a guarantee of the American dream.  Greg  asks Steve some tricky follow-up questions on his unique thoughts on marriage.  Nathan  pins Greg down on what wifely submission actually means in real life. Of course, Greg dodges that question and puts it...

An unexpected, unplanned episode.  Greg  has an Orioles ticket "conflict" so the podcast schedule is reshuffled. It leads to  Nathan  and Greg having a "fireside" chat about the tragic development in the well-known Duggar family. They also hit on a few other topics in no particular order.

Pastor and Author,  Zack Eswine , joins the podcast. His new book,  Spurgeon's Sorrows , takes an honest look at the difficult subject of depression- using the life of Charles Spurgeon as a template. Fascinating (and dare we say SHOCKING) details emerge from Spurgeon's life as  Nathan  and  Greg  discuss subjects with Zack ranging from brain chemistry to ill-timed attempts at encouragement to a tr...

A These Go To Eleven First! The Pastor's wives come with much in their arsenal.  Greg  and  Matt  are worried!  Lisa Dutcher  and  Tracy Smith  say they got tricked into joining the podcast. Maybe- but their insights just rock!  Nathan  asks a number of probing questions about marriage, children, tension, disappointments and unexpected joys in the life of a pastor's wife. 

Les Lanphere  from the  Reformed Pubcast  joins the show! This podcast is one of the most wildly successful podcasts out there that combines beer advice with great theology.  Nathan  asks him where the line between "blessed euphoria" and "flat-out drunkenness" lies.  Greg  geeks out a little with Les on all things Breaking Bad and Star Wars.

Youth Specialist,  Greg Speck , joins the podcast from "tropical Rockford Illinois!"  He has been  working with teens since 1973 !  Nathan  asks Greg about his life, ministry and 2 published books. Then  Dutcher  puts him on the spot with hard questions about teens who want to do things their parents probably won't like. Finally, we discuss some practical advice for pornography-proofing our marria...

The Ultimate Nerdfest!  Andrew Landis , worship leader at Christ Fellowship, joins the podcast for our GEEKIEST episode yet! We talk about Cinco de Mayo and whether or not Mexico makes truly good beer. We also talk about social drinking and American evangelicalism. Having all seen the Avengers,  Nathan  asks  Greg  why our culture has such a preoccupation with superheroes. 

Author  Aaron Armstrong  drops in! He has an excellent  blog  with great resources.  Nathan  asks him why he wrote Contend- don't all Christians already agree on basic Christian doctrine? "You'd be surprised," Aaron says. He shares some examples of how not guarding doctrinal standards can lead to utter chaos in the church. Finally,  Greg  and Aaron talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of the...

Nathan  explains why we are delaying our response to the Baltimore riots and asks for prayer. One of our regulars,  Dave Shive , and  Greg  resume their debate on who are the "sons of God" in Genesis 6. Then they go on to consider the reality of demonic activity in the 21st century.

Stephen Altrogge  joins the podcast. Stephen's  The Happy Rant  has been the model for our own cheap knock off of his superior show! Check out his  The Blazing Center  for great resources. Pastor and worship leader  Matt Smith  chats with Stephen about song writing, good and bad worship music and generational preferences.  Greg  opines about the dangers of politically conservative Christianity.  N...

Pastor and Author  Tim Challies , the Cal Ripken of Christian blogging, joins our first international podcast (since the dude is from Toronto after all!).  Nathan  asks him questions on blogging, pastoring and how to battle pornography.  Greg  asks him some quick fire questions on Calvinism, Mark Driscoll and the good and bad of reformed Christendom. Also- pay attention to how you can get a free b...

Nathan  asks  Greg  why it seems so hard to transition to spiritual matters when talking with an unbeliever.  Steve Hartland  from  Trinity Church  asks really tricky questions about what constitutes a marriage. Should a church accept people who privately married without the approval from the state? Can a person consider himself divorced before God regardless of the state's recognition? Can such a...

Dave Shive  returns to the podcast to "clean up the mess" of so many erroneous comments he's heard since! Bill Heidel , an elder at Christ Fellowship joins the podcast for the first time. Our  previous Isis podcast  left him with some questions and comments that get clarified.  Nathan  sets up a great debate between  Greg  and Dave on whether the "sons of God" in Genesis 6 were angels or humans. 

Back to the podcast for a second time from the frozen tundra of Anchorage, Alaska-  Pastor Jeff Crotts  shares great thoughts on expository preaching.  Greg  starts off a discussion on why he has found the resurrection of Christ THE most helpful apologetic in engaging with unbelievers.  Nathan  asks how we can prepare our hearts for Easter so that the weekend actually holds some meaning!

In our significantly numbered 11th episode, we are joined by our first true radio professional.  Steve Melewski  from  MASNSports.com  sports joins the podcast to talk all things Orioles. Steve is a born and bred Baltimorean with encyclopedic knowledge of the Orioles.  Greg  and  Nathan  interact with him on best ballparks, minor league development and the Birds chances in 2015.

Christina Canapp , with  New Tribes Missions , visits the podcast just two weeks before returning to the Philippines.  Nathan  and  Greg  ask her about everything from weather, stomach bugs, singleness and the impact of the gospel.

Steve Hartland  from  Trinity Church  makes his second visit to the podcast. He asks a classic elephant in the room question- “Why are so many of my non-Christian friends kinder than my Christian ones?”  Nathan  shares a real life example where Christian school kids are outraged by their principal’s horrible behavior. Does submission to authority preclude raising questions or concerns? Finally  Gr...

Matt Smith  makes his second visit to the podcast.  Greg  and  Nathan  try to shame him with his love of all things Stallone, but Matt doesn't flinch. What is it like for a pastor who is good at preaching AND music? Is it a blessing or a curse? What are some of the ups and downs in a church's worship service? Finally, they talk about how the gospel connects with people who struggle with mental ill...